Autonomous Build Setup

You are generating the files a user needs to run an autonomous multi-session build:

PROMPT.md

and

build.sh

.

Use this skill whenever the user wants to:

• Build an app autonomously ("build me a...", "I want to create...")
• Turn a plan or idea into something Claude Code can build on its own
• Set up an autonomous or overnight build
• Create a build spec or PROMPT.md for a project
• Convert a description into a phased, executable build plan
• Scaffold a new project for autonomous development

Also trigger when the user provides a detailed app idea, feature spec, or project description and expects it to be built — even if they don't explicitly say "autonomous." If someone describes what they want built and it's more than a single-session task, this skill applies.

Your Job

1. Gather requirements by asking the user about their project. Don't ask everything at once — have a conversation. Start with the big picture, then drill into specifics.
2. Write

   PROMPT.md

   in the user's target project directory
3. Write

   build.sh

   in the same directory
4. Tell the user what to do next — review, then run

Step 1: Gather Requirements

If the user provided a description with

$ARGUMENTS

, use that as a starting point. Otherwise, ask.

Ask about these in order, skipping what's already clear:

1. What are you building? — App name, what it does, who it's for
2. Where should it live? — Absolute path for the project directory
3. Tech stack — Language, framework, frontend approach, database, key libraries. If the user is unsure, make a recommendation based on what they're building.
4. Core workflows — What can a user DO with this app? Walk through the primary flows.
5. Architecture — API endpoints, data models, how pieces connect. Sketch this out with the user.
6. Design requirements — Only if there's a UI. Colors, layout, component style. If the user doesn't care, skip this section entirely in the output.
7. Number of sessions — How many build.sh loops? Default is 10. More phases = more sessions needed.

Don't ask about:

• Commit rules (use the standard set)
• Multi-session continuity block (always include it)
• Documentation requirements (always include the standard set)
• BUILD_PROGRESS.md format (standardized)

Step 2: Write PROMPT.md

Write

PROMPT.md

to the target project directory. Read

SAMPLE_PROMPT.md

from this repo first to follow its structure — but with ALL placeholders filled in and ALL guidance comments removed.

To find the template: Look for

SAMPLE_PROMPT.md

in the repo that contains this skill file (the

claude-put-in-work

repo). Read it before generating the output.

The output should be a clean, ready-to-run prompt with no template artifacts.

Critical rules for the generated PROMPT.md:

• Use ABSOLUTE paths everywhere (the user's project path, not relative)
• Every phase must have concrete verification steps ("Test: do X -> see Y")
• Each phase should be completable in one session (~1-3 hours of agent work)
• Phase 1 is always foundation (skeleton + "it starts")
• Final phase is always polish + verification
• Include the multi-session continuity block at the top (with real commands for the chosen stack)
• Include the standard commit rules and security rules
• Include documentation requirements with per-phase checklist
• Include the "ALL PHASES COMPLETE" instruction for BUILD_PROGRESS.md
• Do NOT include the "Minimal Example" or "Tips" sections — those are template-only

Security rules to always include in the generated PROMPT.md:

• Never commit secrets, API keys, tokens, or credentials
• Never commit .env files
• Before every commit, scan staged changes for secrets
• Use

  git add <specific files>

  — never

  git add .

  or

  git add -A

• Never use

  --force

  with git push
• Never run destructive commands outside the project directory
• If the project needs API keys, read them from environment variables, never hardcode them

Phase sizing guidance:

• Simple app (todo, blog, calculator): 3-4 phases
• Medium app (dashboard, CRUD with auth, API service): 5-7 phases
• Complex app (multi-service, real-time, deployment): 8-10 phases

Step 3: Write build.sh

Write

build.sh

to the same directory. Use this exact script, only changing

MAX_RUNS

based on the number of phases (set it to number of phases + 2 to give buffer):

#!/bin/bash
# Autonomous multi-session build runner
# Usage: ./build.sh [--yes]
#   --yes    Skip confirmation prompt

set -euo pipefail

cd "$(dirname "$0")"

MAX_RUNS={{MAX_RUNS}}
RUN=0
LOG_DIR="build-logs"

# --- Pre-flight checks ---
if [ ! -f "PROMPT.md" ]; then
    echo "ERROR: PROMPT.md not found in $(pwd)"
    echo "Create a PROMPT.md with your build spec before running."
    exit 1
fi

mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR"

echo "============================================"
echo "  Autonomous Build Runner"
echo "============================================"
echo "Max sessions: $MAX_RUNS"
echo "Prompt:       PROMPT.md ($(wc -l < PROMPT.md | tr -d ' ') lines)"
echo "Logs:         $LOG_DIR/"
echo "Started:      $(date)"
echo "============================================"
echo ""

# Confirm unless --yes flag is passed
if [ "${1:-}" != "--yes" ]; then
    echo "This will run Claude Code with --dangerously-skip-permissions."
    echo "Claude will have full system access during the build."
    echo ""
    read -r -p "Continue? [y/N] " response
    if [[ ! "$response" =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
        echo "Aborted."
        exit 0
    fi
    echo ""
fi

# Clean exit on Ctrl+C
trap 'echo ""; echo ">>> Build interrupted at session $RUN/$MAX_RUNS"; exit 130' INT

while [ $RUN -lt $MAX_RUNS ]; do
    RUN=$((RUN + 1))
    TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
    LOG_FILE="$LOG_DIR/run_${RUN}_${TIMESTAMP}.log"

    echo ">>> Session $RUN/$MAX_RUNS - $(date)"
    echo ">>> Log: $LOG_FILE"
    echo ""

    cat PROMPT.md | claude --dangerously-skip-permissions 2>&1 | tee "$LOG_FILE"

    EXIT_CODE=${PIPESTATUS[1]}
    echo ""
    echo ">>> Session $RUN finished (exit $EXIT_CODE) at $(date)"
    echo ""

    # Check if BUILD_PROGRESS.md indicates completion
    if [ -f "BUILD_PROGRESS.md" ]; then
        if grep -qi "all phases complete\|build complete\|all.*done" BUILD_PROGRESS.md 2>/dev/null; then
            echo ">>> BUILD_PROGRESS.md indicates build is complete. Stopping early."
            break
        fi
    fi

    # Pause between sessions
    if [ $RUN -lt $MAX_RUNS ]; then
        sleep 5
    fi
done

echo ""
echo "============================================"
echo "  Build finished — $RUN session(s) ran"
echo "  $(date)"
echo "============================================"
if [ -f "BUILD_PROGRESS.md" ]; then
    echo ""
    echo "Progress summary:"
    head -30 BUILD_PROGRESS.md
fi

Replace

{{MAX_RUNS}}

with the actual number.

After writing both files, run

chmod +x build.sh

in the target directory.

Step 4: Summary

After writing both files, tell the user:

1. Where the files were written
2. How many phases and sessions are configured
3. Suggest they review

   PROMPT.md

   — especially the tech stack, architecture, and phase breakdown
4. Tell them to run:

   cd <project-path> && ./build.sh

5. Remind them they can check progress in

   BUILD_PROGRESS.md

   and logs in

   build-logs/

6. Remind them to review

   build-logs/

   and

   git log

   after the build for any issues